EXHIBITION TO HIGHLIGHT WESTCONNEX SYDNEY PARK DESTRUCTION

A NEW exhibition at The Corner Gallery in Stanmore will showcase the beauty and importance of Sydney Park and its trees to highlight its planned destruction by WestCONnex.

Save Sydney Park: Adopt a Tree will run from Friday 11 November to Sunday 13 November. The exhibition will feature works by acclaimed photojournalist Lorrie Graham, sculptor Gabrielle Bates, and Head of Drawing at the National Art School, Maryanne Coutts. A reception with talks by the artists and landscape architect Professor Helen Armstrong AM will be held on Saturday 12 November at 1pm.

“I’ve been documenting the Stop WestCONnex campaign since early 2015, when I first became aware of the devastating impact this tollway would have on our communities,” said Lorrie Graham.

“One of the things that truly horrifies me about WestCONnex is its planned destruction of Sydney Park, which is the heart of our area. It is a vital green lung for families, dog owners, and anyone in the inner west who just wants to sit on a patch of grass, surrounded by trees.

“But WestCONnex will slice a 12m strip from the park and destroy hundreds of its trees. This truly breaks my heart, because I know how much Sydney Park matters to our quality of life.

“This exhibition is a way to reach out to people who may not be aware of WestCONnex’s planned destruction, and let them know how much we will all lose if it goes ahead,” said Ms Graham.

“If Mike Baird gets his way, over 14,000m2 of Sydney Park will be wiped out for WestCONnex,” said WestCONnex Action Group (WAG) spokesperson Pauline Lockie.

“These devastating losses are to be ‘replaced’ with the world’s worst park: some ‘green space’ under the massive flyovers and unfiltered pollution stacks of the monstrous St Peters Interchange.

“That’s why this exhibition will also show people how they can help save Sydney Park by signing up to our new Adopt a Tree campaign and sponsoring the park’s threatened trees,” said Ms Lockie.